Snailbeach Lead Mine Surface Virtual Tour

[click thumbnails to see larger version of picture]

PARK IN THE VILLAGE HALL CAR PARK (SJ373022)

This is on the right as you climb the hill from the Shrewsbury-Bishops Castle road. If it is full then you can park on the grass area to the side and below. Parking is free and there are toilets here, as well as a children’s play area on the grass below. There is a display board on the outside wall of the toilet block that will give you some basic information on the mine and there are more as you go around.

Some distance away from the mine itself, in Hope Valley, is the portal of Wagbeach Level (SJ364025) This is the drainage level of the mine and here are the remains of a 36ft waterwheel that, at an early stage of the working of Snailbeach, drove the pumps to drain the mine. These are on private land but a footpath goes close to it. Wagbeach Level is 1,200 yards long, reaching the mine at George's Shaft at a depth of 112 yards.

With your back to the car park, turn right along the road for about 100 yards, passing the Village Hall. On the right is a bridleway going down to the left of a white house. Follow this down and round the corner on the right you will find the grilled entrance to Scott Level. This is a mystery as it leads to extensive passages that are not connected to Snailbeach Mine.

CROSS THE ROAD TO THE SIGN UP TO LORDSHILL. GO THROUGH THE

SMALL WOODEN GATE AND WALK UP THE HILL ALONG THE PATH

If you look back, there are fantastic views across the valley.

On the left are the remains of an Engine House. The Halvans Company were processing the tips here between 1911-1930s and the engine house was used to operate the machinery. There was a small rectangular chimney, which was actually false, being used for a fireplace on the first floor. In the east wall was an A-frame as part of the brickwork and this was where the drive for the conveyor ran out of the building. The cylinder foundations and a flywheel pit are inside the engine house, these operated a crusher and screens which lay on the west side of the building. The old white tips have now been grassed over. An estimated 8,000 cubic metres of mine spoil were removed from the tips for backfilling unsafe underground workings and this was added to over 2,000 tonnes of grout.

THEN & NOW

CARRY ON UP THE TRACK. WHERE IT FLATTENS OUT, GO

THROUGH ANOTHER GATE AND CROSS THE ROAD TO A SIGN

TURN RIGHT ALONG A TRACK NEXT TO THE FENCE

TURN LEFT IN FRONT OF A BUILDING WITH BIG DOORS

The Snailbeach District Railway to Minsterley was built in 1877, to take lead to customers and bring back coal for the boilers. This Locomotive Shed was used to house several steam locomotives.

This building is normally kept locked but if you can make arrangements to gain access via the Visits Co-ordinator if there are no Trust members on site. A collection of mining equipment is kept inside.

The following old pictures are of the locomotives working

THEN & NOW

Towards the end of the railway's life, the trucks were hauled by a tractor instead of a steam locomotive. In the loco shed is an old Fordson tractor that was found abandoned on site. It is believed to have been used at one stage for operating machinery at the Upper Works but it is not known if this was the tractor used to haul trucks.

GO OUT OF THE LOCO SHED AND FOLLOW THE RAILS

The rails soon disappear under the surface of the modern track but you will come to two stone abutments. This was a bridge where waste rock from the mine was pushed in wagons over the railway and dumped on the tips. At ground level, you can see the lever that moved some points.

GO BACK TO THE LOCO SHED AND UP THE STEPS

On the left is the Mine Office that was used in the 1950s. The fireplace on the facing outside wall was a small room where the lead was assayed.

On the right is the Blacksmith's Shop where machinery and tools were made for the mine. This building is normally kept locked but if you can make arrangements to gain access via the Visits Co-ordinator if there are no Trust members on site.

Inside are a forge and bellows which have been restored and are operated on Open Days.

THEN & NOW

This was a separate blacksmith’s shop for sharpening men’s tools which has now been demolished.

Next to it is a small stone building, which is believed to be a very old Pumping Engine House that operated in George’s Shaft.

In front of the Blacksmith’s Shop is the filled George's Shaft (750ft), with a wooden headgear that was rebuilt in July 1999. It is here that the fatalities occurred in 1895 (note that this originally had two winding wheels but one was removed towards the end of the 19^th Century).